The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis 978-1-59990-142-8
This was a fun book to read. The main character, Julian, is a classic nerd--when his family moves to a new area, he's so desperate to fit in that he reads books to understand the behavior of his "peers". What he finds, though is that the classic jock and bad girl are more than they seem when they invite him to their secret clubhouse to join them in scientific tinkering. Together, the three of them form the eponymous alliance, dedicated mostly to bringing the ideas in their Invention Notebook to life, but also to getting (gentle) revenge on the bullies at school (like putting blue dye in the chocolate milk Julian knew a bully would predictably steal). The Copycat Crook, in contrast, is an adult scientist with a bad attitude and a severe lack of imagination. How the Alliance defeats him is brilliant--and not something I want to spoil.
I loved all the little details in the illustration. For example, scenes set in the clubhouse are often accompanied by little labels like "peanut butter" "corn chips" and "motor oil" which are all sitting on a counter to be tested by a machine. There are cutaway views of many of the inventions, with the kind of details anyone who's ever enjoyed cutaway illustrations, or DK-style books, from nonfiction would love.
I hope Ms. Davis is planning to write more about these characters. I really want to know what else they get into (and if Ben ever overcomes his testing problem). I also loved the hardcover format--it looks like it will hold up for many circulations, which is good, since I plan on handing it to anyone who seems remotely interested (maybe those too young for Artemis Fowl, but interested in something similar).
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Benny and Penny and Swans in Space
My library got two new titles in today.
Benny and Penny in the Big No-No by Geoffrey Hayes 978-0-9799238-9-0
This is one of the Toon line of books, with a very nice hardcover binding. Benny and Penny are a pair of mouse siblings who play (and bicker) in a realistic way. The "no-no" of the title is going over the fence into a new neighbor's yard without permission. The art has nice details without being too busy. The action is easy to follow. This would be a great book for an advanced kindergartner or first-grader to read on their own. (I'll test that later, once the book has been processed, by handing it to my own first-grader.) The vocabulary is simple without being condescending, and the moral at the end isn't hammered home.
Swans in Space by Lun Lun Yamamoto 978-1-897376-93-5
Finally! After months of trying to get my hands on this book, it arrived. It's a full-color manga that seems to be aimed at girls. I've just started reading it, but so far I'm enjoying. The binding is paper, but it seems like a slightly tougher paper than whatever Viz uses for Pokemon. This is another one I'll run by my daughters once it's processed for circulation. (I'll try to post a plot summary then, too.)
Benny and Penny in the Big No-No by Geoffrey Hayes 978-0-9799238-9-0
This is one of the Toon line of books, with a very nice hardcover binding. Benny and Penny are a pair of mouse siblings who play (and bicker) in a realistic way. The "no-no" of the title is going over the fence into a new neighbor's yard without permission. The art has nice details without being too busy. The action is easy to follow. This would be a great book for an advanced kindergartner or first-grader to read on their own. (I'll test that later, once the book has been processed, by handing it to my own first-grader.) The vocabulary is simple without being condescending, and the moral at the end isn't hammered home.
Swans in Space by Lun Lun Yamamoto 978-1-897376-93-5
Finally! After months of trying to get my hands on this book, it arrived. It's a full-color manga that seems to be aimed at girls. I've just started reading it, but so far I'm enjoying. The binding is paper, but it seems like a slightly tougher paper than whatever Viz uses for Pokemon. This is another one I'll run by my daughters once it's processed for circulation. (I'll try to post a plot summary then, too.)
Monday, November 16, 2009
More on Majoko
So I took The Big Adventures of Majoko, Vol. 1 home for my daughters to read. The 9-year-old zipped through it and loved it. The 6-year-old tried. She's getting into reading on her own (heck, she's almost a grade level ahead of her class in reading), but the manga right-to-left format confuses her. So, we're reading it together. I read the longer bits, and use my finger to help her follow the action. I have her read the single-word exclamations and the like. We read two chapters in a half-hour that way. We'll probably read more this Friday, while waiting for her older sister to get out of dance class. It's a fun way to spend some quality time with her.
My older one wants me to get Volume 2 already. She's also curious about Udon's other titles, none of which our library has yet. At least I contacted Udon, and they're written back to say Swans in Space, Vol. 1 should be available from my distributor now. It seems they had some publishing issues. Yay!
My older one wants me to get Volume 2 already. She's also curious about Udon's other titles, none of which our library has yet. At least I contacted Udon, and they're written back to say Swans in Space, Vol. 1 should be available from my distributor now. It seems they had some publishing issues. Yay!
Friday, November 13, 2009
A Rant
I want Swans in Space! I've read nothing but good things about the book. The publisher, Udon Kids, did a great job with The Big Adventures of Majoko (which I'm taking home to share with my daughters tonight). I saw the preview of the book on their site (http://mangaforkids.com/) and I have high hopes for this book. However, I'm not having much luck ordering it. I've tried twice, and my distributor canceled the order both times. I also see no other library in my consortium (consotia?) owns it either.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
New Books! (Grown-Ups Are Dumb, Sonic, Binky, Robin Hood, Little Mouse)
I had to do the ordering from our review lists for October, and got several graphic novels as a result:
Grown-Ups Are Dumb (No Offense) by Alexa Kitchen 978-142311331-7
She's billed as the world's youngest cartoonist. It's a cute book, although paperback. I don't get a lot of the humor, but this is by a kid for kids so I hope it goes well.
Sonic Select: Book One, various authors compiled by Archie Comics 978-1-879794-29-0
I got this one to add to the various Sonic titles requested. It's all old stuff from the 80s. This art looks more "cleaned up" than other volumes, in that it doesn't look like it was scanned straight out of the comic itself, but re-colored for this book.
Binky, the Space Cat by Ashley Spires 978-1-55453-309-1
I love this. The text, though minimal, is very matter-of-fact that Binky can, in fact, be training in secret to fight aliens (aka, household bugs) and fly off into space. There is litter-box humor, but nothing too gross (what do you expect? He's a cat.)
Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood by Tony Lee 978-076364399-7
This is definitely for older kids. People die, and one character has his eyes put out. The art is very dark. I almost gave it to the Teen Librarian for her collection. However, the actual gore is kept to a minimum (the missing eyes, for example, are more dark shadows than gaping sockets), and I feel a need for good Robin Hood retellings in our section of the library.
Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith 978-1-935179-01-6
In direct contrast to Outlaw, this is a short, sweet book that could easily slide into the picture book section and not be noticed. It's published by the same company that produced Luke on the Loose (which went into our collection before I started this blog). The art is brown backgrounds with lots of color for Little Mouse's clothes, and the story is very easy to follow. Like I said, cute.
Grown-Ups Are Dumb (No Offense) by Alexa Kitchen 978-142311331-7
She's billed as the world's youngest cartoonist. It's a cute book, although paperback. I don't get a lot of the humor, but this is by a kid for kids so I hope it goes well.
Sonic Select: Book One, various authors compiled by Archie Comics 978-1-879794-29-0
I got this one to add to the various Sonic titles requested. It's all old stuff from the 80s. This art looks more "cleaned up" than other volumes, in that it doesn't look like it was scanned straight out of the comic itself, but re-colored for this book.
Binky, the Space Cat by Ashley Spires 978-1-55453-309-1
I love this. The text, though minimal, is very matter-of-fact that Binky can, in fact, be training in secret to fight aliens (aka, household bugs) and fly off into space. There is litter-box humor, but nothing too gross (what do you expect? He's a cat.)
Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood by Tony Lee 978-076364399-7
This is definitely for older kids. People die, and one character has his eyes put out. The art is very dark. I almost gave it to the Teen Librarian for her collection. However, the actual gore is kept to a minimum (the missing eyes, for example, are more dark shadows than gaping sockets), and I feel a need for good Robin Hood retellings in our section of the library.
Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith 978-1-935179-01-6
In direct contrast to Outlaw, this is a short, sweet book that could easily slide into the picture book section and not be noticed. It's published by the same company that produced Luke on the Loose (which went into our collection before I started this blog). The art is brown backgrounds with lots of color for Little Mouse's clothes, and the story is very easy to follow. Like I said, cute.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Review: The Weasel Patrol
The Weasel Patrol by Ken Macklin and Lela Dowling (987-0-9790750-8-7)
This just in: The Weasel Patrol is on the loose in space. This is great black and white slapstick. The motto of the Patrol is "Protect. Serve. Run Away." Leroy and his fellow weasels do so with fine form, catching the bad guys every time. (They even have their priorities straight: rescuing the Cheezies is more important than contraband, after all.) When reading this with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek, I was trying hard not to laugh and disturb my co-workers. As I said, this is slapstick, so no one gets hurt worse than the Coyote ever did to the Roadrunner. The only problem kids might have is the challenge of the vocabulary, but hey, that's what the dictionary is for.
This just in: The Weasel Patrol is on the loose in space. This is great black and white slapstick. The motto of the Patrol is "Protect. Serve. Run Away." Leroy and his fellow weasels do so with fine form, catching the bad guys every time. (They even have their priorities straight: rescuing the Cheezies is more important than contraband, after all.) When reading this with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek, I was trying hard not to laugh and disturb my co-workers. As I said, this is slapstick, so no one gets hurt worse than the Coyote ever did to the Roadrunner. The only problem kids might have is the challenge of the vocabulary, but hey, that's what the dictionary is for.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Review: The Storm in the Barn
The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan (978-07636-3618-0)
This was definitely worth the wait. I'm glad I didn't try to lump it in with the other three books yesterday. I still read it quickly, but that's only because there was so little text. Most of the story is conveyed through the art, with a careful use of color. Browns and tans dominate, appropriate for a story set during the Dust Bowl, but there are careful spots of soft greens and blues, and, at one memorable spot, the red of blood.
Jack Clark's older sister cannot leave her bed, the dust is so bad. He's too young to do anything to help his father fix the car--all that is keeping them on the farm. There are no chores except occasionally watching his younger sister for his mother. He's bullied by boys in town. Then, he starts seeing things through the cracks in the Talbot barn. I won't say what Jack sees, because that is the crux of the story, but how he deals with it makes Jack one of the Jacks of fairy tale stuff--just like the stories he hears from the storekeeper and his sister's Oz books. I am so glad I got this book for my library (and very happy that Candlewick took the effort to give it a good binding and excellent quality paper).
This was definitely worth the wait. I'm glad I didn't try to lump it in with the other three books yesterday. I still read it quickly, but that's only because there was so little text. Most of the story is conveyed through the art, with a careful use of color. Browns and tans dominate, appropriate for a story set during the Dust Bowl, but there are careful spots of soft greens and blues, and, at one memorable spot, the red of blood.
Jack Clark's older sister cannot leave her bed, the dust is so bad. He's too young to do anything to help his father fix the car--all that is keeping them on the farm. There are no chores except occasionally watching his younger sister for his mother. He's bullied by boys in town. Then, he starts seeing things through the cracks in the Talbot barn. I won't say what Jack sees, because that is the crux of the story, but how he deals with it makes Jack one of the Jacks of fairy tale stuff--just like the stories he hears from the storekeeper and his sister's Oz books. I am so glad I got this book for my library (and very happy that Candlewick took the effort to give it a good binding and excellent quality paper).
Monday, September 28, 2009
Quick Mentions: New Books, Continuing Series
Just a quick post:
Got some new stuff last week that I have to give to the processing people: A Little Snow Fairy Sugar 3( 978-1-4139-03546), which is the last volume in the set; The Big Adventures of Majoko 2 (978-1-897376-82-9); The Storm in the Barn by Matthew Phelan (978-0-7636-3618-0); and The Lapis Lazuli Crown 2 (978-1-4012-2121-8), also the last of the series.
I got Sugar to complete the set--I don't really have time or interest in reading it for review. I enjoyed the first Majoko, which is why I got the second. (I really should have my daughter read them.) I'll review Storm another time--it's supposed to be good, so I want to give it enough time to read and absorb properly. Lapis Lazuli was as good as I hoped, though the story felt a little rushed. There's a bit more political intrigue in this issue, but again, no annoying chibi or drawn-out battle scenes. Yay!
Got some new stuff last week that I have to give to the processing people: A Little Snow Fairy Sugar 3( 978-1-4139-03546), which is the last volume in the set; The Big Adventures of Majoko 2 (978-1-897376-82-9); The Storm in the Barn by Matthew Phelan (978-0-7636-3618-0); and The Lapis Lazuli Crown 2 (978-1-4012-2121-8), also the last of the series.
I got Sugar to complete the set--I don't really have time or interest in reading it for review. I enjoyed the first Majoko, which is why I got the second. (I really should have my daughter read them.) I'll review Storm another time--it's supposed to be good, so I want to give it enough time to read and absorb properly. Lapis Lazuli was as good as I hoped, though the story felt a little rushed. There's a bit more political intrigue in this issue, but again, no annoying chibi or drawn-out battle scenes. Yay!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers #18
Got the lastest BWI shipment in yesterday, and for fun set aside D.A.N.G.E.R. Spells the Hangman (Hardy Boys: Undercover Brother #18 from Papercutz, 978-1-59707-191-1). I was reading it just after reading The 3-2-3 Detective Agency (see previous post), so I was in a mystery mindset.
I can't say it's much better than 3-2-3, unfortunately. I like the art better, though I think 3-2-3 has the advantage of being more attractive for younger readers. All the Hardy Boys are done in a manga style (down to even some funny faces to depict emotions at times). The mystery was more life-threatening (someone is trying to kill spelling bee contestants, not just kidnap). In fact, the opening "teaser" is about preventing the assassination of a young boy at a paintball range. But still, seriously, spelling bee contestants? The denouement read more like a Scooby-D00 cartoon than something written for tweens/teens. Good thing I'm purchasing for elementary/middle school readers then.
Why am I buying these again? Oh yeah, steady series that circulates anyway. Well, I hope the readers are at least looking at other things on the shelf.
I can't say it's much better than 3-2-3, unfortunately. I like the art better, though I think 3-2-3 has the advantage of being more attractive for younger readers. All the Hardy Boys are done in a manga style (down to even some funny faces to depict emotions at times). The mystery was more life-threatening (someone is trying to kill spelling bee contestants, not just kidnap). In fact, the opening "teaser" is about preventing the assassination of a young boy at a paintball range. But still, seriously, spelling bee contestants? The denouement read more like a Scooby-D00 cartoon than something written for tweens/teens. Good thing I'm purchasing for elementary/middle school readers then.
Why am I buying these again? Oh yeah, steady series that circulates anyway. Well, I hope the readers are at least looking at other things on the shelf.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Review: The 3-2-3 Detective Agency
The 3-2-3 Detective Agency in the Disappearance of Dave Warthog by Fiona Robinson 978-0-8109-8489-9
I'm afraid I don't have much to say. This book has been reviewed and summarized extensive elsewhere--part of why I purchased it. My reaction to this is tepid. It's cute, and I'm sure younger readers will love it. The mystery seems weak to me, however. The art is very colorful, and almost too busy (but I could still follow the action). It's a nice hardcover binding (I'm a sucker for hardcover--they tend to hold up in the library better). I'll just have to see how the circulation holds up after a year or two on the shelf.
I'm afraid I don't have much to say. This book has been reviewed and summarized extensive elsewhere--part of why I purchased it. My reaction to this is tepid. It's cute, and I'm sure younger readers will love it. The mystery seems weak to me, however. The art is very colorful, and almost too busy (but I could still follow the action). It's a nice hardcover binding (I'm a sucker for hardcover--they tend to hold up in the library better). I'll just have to see how the circulation holds up after a year or two on the shelf.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Review: The Lapis Lazuli Crown
The Lapis Lazuli Crown 1 by Natsuna Kawase, 978-1-4012-2120-1
What do you know, there is shojo (girl manga) I can stand to read! This is the story of the middle daughter of an impoverished noble family who is, well, freakishly strong, a situation she is not happy with. In addition, her older sister is a genius sorceress, and her younger sister look to be the same, while Miel has trouble controlling the most basic spells. One day she literally runs into Prince Radian, who is going about town undercover after he gave his best friend/retainer the slip. She doesn't know who he is at first, and they get to know each other when she gives him a "tour" of the city. After his deception is revealed, he gifts her with a charm made from lapis lazuli, the royal stone, and tells her he'll wait for the day she can use the stone to cast spells (you can't work at the palace unless you can use lapis lazuli, which is a fragile stone). This actually motivates her to study magic harder, even transferring to a magic-oriented high school. I'm definitely hoping there are more issues forthcoming. I even enjoyed the secondary story, about a cat burglar saving his reputation by helping a girl targeted by his copycat (even though it took up about a third of the book).
I think what I like most was the lack of over-emoting, chibi characters. There were no cutesy talking pets, no overload of Japanese-style emotion faces (aside from Miel falling to her knees when overwhelmed a few too many times). There weren't any knock-down-drag-out duels that last for 50 pages (more a problem with shonen, I know). The magic system in the story is fairly straightforward, and the world seems fairly well-built (considering I only saw the cityscape, I could be wrong). The characters were well-drawn, and I could tell them apart, even in black-and-white. I could follow the flow of the action. There's supposed to be a concluding volume coming out this month--I'll be looking for it.
What do you know, there is shojo (girl manga) I can stand to read! This is the story of the middle daughter of an impoverished noble family who is, well, freakishly strong, a situation she is not happy with. In addition, her older sister is a genius sorceress, and her younger sister look to be the same, while Miel has trouble controlling the most basic spells. One day she literally runs into Prince Radian, who is going about town undercover after he gave his best friend/retainer the slip. She doesn't know who he is at first, and they get to know each other when she gives him a "tour" of the city. After his deception is revealed, he gifts her with a charm made from lapis lazuli, the royal stone, and tells her he'll wait for the day she can use the stone to cast spells (you can't work at the palace unless you can use lapis lazuli, which is a fragile stone). This actually motivates her to study magic harder, even transferring to a magic-oriented high school. I'm definitely hoping there are more issues forthcoming. I even enjoyed the secondary story, about a cat burglar saving his reputation by helping a girl targeted by his copycat (even though it took up about a third of the book).
I think what I like most was the lack of over-emoting, chibi characters. There were no cutesy talking pets, no overload of Japanese-style emotion faces (aside from Miel falling to her knees when overwhelmed a few too many times). There weren't any knock-down-drag-out duels that last for 50 pages (more a problem with shonen, I know). The magic system in the story is fairly straightforward, and the world seems fairly well-built (considering I only saw the cityscape, I could be wrong). The characters were well-drawn, and I could tell them apart, even in black-and-white. I could follow the flow of the action. There's supposed to be a concluding volume coming out this month--I'll be looking for it.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Donations Reviews, Round 2
Alice in Wonderland, retold by Martin Powell, illustrated by Daniel Perez 978-1-4342-1585-7
This reads a lot like a Cliff's Notes edition of the book by Lewis Carroll. It would definitely work as something to hand a first- or second-grader. Powell managed to capture some of Lewis's turns of phrase, but like any summary of a larger work, the poetry seems lost. Perez's art is much less eye-searing than Wonderland (which I mentioned in an earlier post), and has echoes of the original art from the Carroll book (especially, I though, in the face of the Duchess). I have no problem putting this on the shelf.
The Emperor's New Clothes, retold by Stephanie True Peters, illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins 978-1-4342-1595-6
This is a perfectly fine adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson story. The art is done in mostly sepia tones, which I have no problem with, and the action flows well. The people looked a lot like clowns, however, since everyone had round circles on their cheeks and red noses (which, I suppose, is better than the other interpretation for such an appearance). Even more clown-like are the whitened faces. On the cover, the Emperor is shown in his undergarments (modeling the "new clothes"), and I can clearly see the lines of his white face. Due to the similar faces, I had a hard time distinguishing one character from another at a few points.
The Incredible Rockhead by Scott Nickel and C.S. Jennings 978-1-4342-1591-8
I enjoyed this one a lot more than the Zinc Alloy book. From front cover to back, the book is designed to mimic a traditional newsstand comic book, with an issue number on the front and a faux ad on the back. It's still a pretty simple origin story, but it ends with the words "to be continued" which means it could be expanded to a more complex plot. (As I've said before, you don't need a simple plot just because the vocabulary has to be simple.) I even enjoyed the way the vocabulary page and discussion questions were formatted to resemble even more mock-ads. This is something I'll consider getting more of (assuming I have a budget to spend in 2010).
Princess Candy: Sugar Hero by Michael Dahl, illustrated by Jeff Crowther 978-1-4342-1587-1
A superhero book for the girl crowd, since I don't know a single reluctant reader boy who'd pick up a book with "Princess" and a pink-haired girl on the cover. It's another origin book with minimal plot (pain-in-the-rear star student turns out to be cheater). The main character, Halo Nightly, has a non-traditional family structure (she lives with her grandmother, who drives a taxi for a living) which is actually a nice change from the norm. There is no mention of what happened to her parents, but Halo's mysteriously missing Aunt Pandora is the start of the super powers. Another one I'd consider more of.
This reads a lot like a Cliff's Notes edition of the book by Lewis Carroll. It would definitely work as something to hand a first- or second-grader. Powell managed to capture some of Lewis's turns of phrase, but like any summary of a larger work, the poetry seems lost. Perez's art is much less eye-searing than Wonderland (which I mentioned in an earlier post), and has echoes of the original art from the Carroll book (especially, I though, in the face of the Duchess). I have no problem putting this on the shelf.
The Emperor's New Clothes, retold by Stephanie True Peters, illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins 978-1-4342-1595-6
This is a perfectly fine adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson story. The art is done in mostly sepia tones, which I have no problem with, and the action flows well. The people looked a lot like clowns, however, since everyone had round circles on their cheeks and red noses (which, I suppose, is better than the other interpretation for such an appearance). Even more clown-like are the whitened faces. On the cover, the Emperor is shown in his undergarments (modeling the "new clothes"), and I can clearly see the lines of his white face. Due to the similar faces, I had a hard time distinguishing one character from another at a few points.
The Incredible Rockhead by Scott Nickel and C.S. Jennings 978-1-4342-1591-8
I enjoyed this one a lot more than the Zinc Alloy book. From front cover to back, the book is designed to mimic a traditional newsstand comic book, with an issue number on the front and a faux ad on the back. It's still a pretty simple origin story, but it ends with the words "to be continued" which means it could be expanded to a more complex plot. (As I've said before, you don't need a simple plot just because the vocabulary has to be simple.) I even enjoyed the way the vocabulary page and discussion questions were formatted to resemble even more mock-ads. This is something I'll consider getting more of (assuming I have a budget to spend in 2010).
Princess Candy: Sugar Hero by Michael Dahl, illustrated by Jeff Crowther 978-1-4342-1587-1
A superhero book for the girl crowd, since I don't know a single reluctant reader boy who'd pick up a book with "Princess" and a pink-haired girl on the cover. It's another origin book with minimal plot (pain-in-the-rear star student turns out to be cheater). The main character, Halo Nightly, has a non-traditional family structure (she lives with her grandmother, who drives a taxi for a living) which is actually a nice change from the norm. There is no mention of what happened to her parents, but Halo's mysteriously missing Aunt Pandora is the start of the super powers. Another one I'd consider more of.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
New Comics
I'm taking a break from the Stone Arch stuff for a few days.
Got a box of stuff in today: 2 replacement Garfields, a new Sonic the Hedgehog book, Wolverine and Power Pack Digest, and more:
Knights of the Lunch Table 2: The Dragon Players by Frank Cammuso (978-0-439-90323-3). Just as excellent as the first Knights. I love this grade-school variant on the King Arthur legend.
The Lapis Lazuli Crown by Natsuna Kawase (978-1-4012-2120-1) It's manga I found recommended in a few blogs as being good for all ages. I'll have to set it aside to read/review.
The Secret Saturdays 1: The Kur Stone adapted from the Cartoon Network show (978-0-345-51694-7). I bought this one mostly for variety to put on the shelf--it's media-based, not exactly a superhero title, and is supposed to be acceptable for all ages. I've never seen the cartoon to judge the adaptation, but it looks a lot like Tokyopop's cina-manga style. I sure hope the binding holds up better than Tokyopop's.
The 3-2-3 Detective Agency by Fiona Robinson (978-0-8109-8489-9). Another one I culled from blogs/online reviews that I'm putting aside to read. It's hardcover, which is good for physical staying power. The reviews were mixed: Again, I'm hoping for some variety.
Side note: There are now graphic adaptations of the Geronimo Stilton books (which were pretty visual to being with). We've got some, but they're already in circulation.
Got a box of stuff in today: 2 replacement Garfields, a new Sonic the Hedgehog book, Wolverine and Power Pack Digest, and more:
Knights of the Lunch Table 2: The Dragon Players by Frank Cammuso (978-0-439-90323-3). Just as excellent as the first Knights. I love this grade-school variant on the King Arthur legend.
The Lapis Lazuli Crown by Natsuna Kawase (978-1-4012-2120-1) It's manga I found recommended in a few blogs as being good for all ages. I'll have to set it aside to read/review.
The Secret Saturdays 1: The Kur Stone adapted from the Cartoon Network show (978-0-345-51694-7). I bought this one mostly for variety to put on the shelf--it's media-based, not exactly a superhero title, and is supposed to be acceptable for all ages. I've never seen the cartoon to judge the adaptation, but it looks a lot like Tokyopop's cina-manga style. I sure hope the binding holds up better than Tokyopop's.
The 3-2-3 Detective Agency by Fiona Robinson (978-0-8109-8489-9). Another one I culled from blogs/online reviews that I'm putting aside to read. It's hardcover, which is good for physical staying power. The reviews were mixed: Again, I'm hoping for some variety.
Side note: There are now graphic adaptations of the Geronimo Stilton books (which were pretty visual to being with). We've got some, but they're already in circulation.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Donation Reviews, Round One
I should begin this by saying I personally have a low threshold for "hi-lo" books. Just because someone can't read well doesn't mean they don't deserve a good story. Green Eggs and Ham is the classic example of what you can do with limited vocabulary. However, Stone Arch press is targeted at reluctant readers, so I have to keep that in mind when I find them "too easy".
Airplane Adventure, by Cari Meister, illustrated by Marilyn Janovitz 978-1-4342-1618-2
From the My First Graphic Novel: Transportation series, this follows two kids who travel to visit their grandma in Mexico. There is no real plot. It might be useful for children taking their first trip on an airplane. It does show them going through modern levels of tightened security, but there is no sign of an escorting adult, which I find troublesome.
Zinc Alloy: Coldfinger by Donald Lemke, illustrated by Douglas Holgate 978-1-4342-1586-4
A boy has his own supersuit, and uses it to foil a villain. That's about the whole plot right there. This is part of a series. One-dimensional characters and clueless parents finish the book. It's only going in the collection because it's free.
Monster and Me by Robert Marsh, illustrated by Tom Percival 978-1-4342-1589-5
A girl tries to find a constructive outlet for the monster in her closet. I like this one much better than Coldfinger. There seemed to be slightly more plot, and the characters, though still shallow, had some signs of depth (the drama teacher wants just one good play production before he retires, Dad chronically misses Gabby's school events). The back of the book says Gabby is 12, but I thought she was slightly younger. Still, a cute book. If I had a much larger budget, I'd be tempted to get the other one in the series.
Float and Sting: One Round with Muhammad Ali by David Miller, illustrated by Andres Esparza 978-1-4342-1578-9
I think this landed on my desk because it's a mixed-media graphic novel. Some of the story is carried through panels of graphics, and some of it through traditional text. I've got to admit, I was disappointed when I first started reading. I though I was picking up a biography of Ali. I didn't notice the fine print on the cover that says "Historical Fiction". It's a story of one boy's encounter with Ali, who let people pay to spend one round in the ring trying to fight him. It's actually a nice little tale of determination as the bullied boy found a way to use Ali as an inspiration to improve himself. Definitely a keeper, though it's going in the regular hardcover fiction shelving. (One quibble: that boy does not look even close to 17 in the pictures. Again, the art looks too young.)
After the holiday I'll review the remaining graphic novels.
Airplane Adventure, by Cari Meister, illustrated by Marilyn Janovitz 978-1-4342-1618-2
From the My First Graphic Novel: Transportation series, this follows two kids who travel to visit their grandma in Mexico. There is no real plot. It might be useful for children taking their first trip on an airplane. It does show them going through modern levels of tightened security, but there is no sign of an escorting adult, which I find troublesome.
Zinc Alloy: Coldfinger by Donald Lemke, illustrated by Douglas Holgate 978-1-4342-1586-4
A boy has his own supersuit, and uses it to foil a villain. That's about the whole plot right there. This is part of a series. One-dimensional characters and clueless parents finish the book. It's only going in the collection because it's free.
Monster and Me by Robert Marsh, illustrated by Tom Percival 978-1-4342-1589-5
A girl tries to find a constructive outlet for the monster in her closet. I like this one much better than Coldfinger. There seemed to be slightly more plot, and the characters, though still shallow, had some signs of depth (the drama teacher wants just one good play production before he retires, Dad chronically misses Gabby's school events). The back of the book says Gabby is 12, but I thought she was slightly younger. Still, a cute book. If I had a much larger budget, I'd be tempted to get the other one in the series.
Float and Sting: One Round with Muhammad Ali by David Miller, illustrated by Andres Esparza 978-1-4342-1578-9
I think this landed on my desk because it's a mixed-media graphic novel. Some of the story is carried through panels of graphics, and some of it through traditional text. I've got to admit, I was disappointed when I first started reading. I though I was picking up a biography of Ali. I didn't notice the fine print on the cover that says "Historical Fiction". It's a story of one boy's encounter with Ali, who let people pay to spend one round in the ring trying to fight him. It's actually a nice little tale of determination as the bullied boy found a way to use Ali as an inspiration to improve himself. Definitely a keeper, though it's going in the regular hardcover fiction shelving. (One quibble: that boy does not look even close to 17 in the pictures. Again, the art looks too young.)
After the holiday I'll review the remaining graphic novels.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
I'm back from vacation. Schools start next Tuesday, so things are stepping into high gear around here, with storytimes starting in two weeks.
I've added two copies of Tokyopop's High School Musical/High School Musical 2 Cine-Manga to the collection. I pray the binding will hold up for more than 10 circs each, since those puppies have a list price of almost $10 apiece.
I also came back from vacation to find a pile of donations from Stone Arch press on my desk. They periodically send a box of review copies to our library, which are then divided up by my department head according to our collection development responsiblilites. I got 18 books, 8 of which are graphic novels. I'm going to read them all and try to post reviews of the graphic novels here.
For the record, the Stone Arch imprint seems to cater to libraries and educators. The books are all excellent quality binding, but the list prices are a little steep for the average jane-on-the-street. They also seem to be aimed at the reluctant reader or a reader with difficulties.
I've added two copies of Tokyopop's High School Musical/High School Musical 2 Cine-Manga to the collection. I pray the binding will hold up for more than 10 circs each, since those puppies have a list price of almost $10 apiece.
I also came back from vacation to find a pile of donations from Stone Arch press on my desk. They periodically send a box of review copies to our library, which are then divided up by my department head according to our collection development responsiblilites. I got 18 books, 8 of which are graphic novels. I'm going to read them all and try to post reviews of the graphic novels here.
For the record, the Stone Arch imprint seems to cater to libraries and educators. The books are all excellent quality binding, but the list prices are a little steep for the average jane-on-the-street. They also seem to be aimed at the reluctant reader or a reader with difficulties.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
2 New Books and a Note
I'm adding two more things: Power Pack Classic from Marvel Comics and Pet Robots by Scott Christian Sava. I like Power Pack, since the main characters are all kids, though they interact with the rest of the Marvel universe (like Spiderman and the X-Men). Classic is a compilation of the original Power Pack stories bound up in a paperback graphic novel format. I think I have some of the originals in my own comic book collection at home. Let's hope the paperback binding holds up.
Pet Robots is by the brilliant author of Cameron and His Dinosaurs, so I have high hopes this will be just as good. (On a side note, the paperback binding seems much sturdier than anything produced by Marvel.)
The Note: I had a young patron in last night asking for our Sonic the Hedgehog books, plus some Sonic titles we don't own. I may have to see about ordering more, since the six I did purchase are all checked out! Excellent!
Pet Robots is by the brilliant author of Cameron and His Dinosaurs, so I have high hopes this will be just as good. (On a side note, the paperback binding seems much sturdier than anything produced by Marvel.)
The Note: I had a young patron in last night asking for our Sonic the Hedgehog books, plus some Sonic titles we don't own. I may have to see about ordering more, since the six I did purchase are all checked out! Excellent!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Rex Libris
This isn't a kids' title, but I have to rave about a graphic novel I read: Rex Libris: I, Librarian by James Turner. It's funny and intellectual. Even better, the main character is a LIBRARIAN WHO KICKS A**!!! (excuse my language, please) His boss is the Egyptian god Thoth, and his co-workers are Circe (yes, the sorceress) and Hypatia (not the original, but a new trainee). All the librarians are very conservatively dressed, but they can also all handle the toughest of patrons (in a flashback to her training, Hypatia is show literally kicking someone who looks like Special Forces while wearing a non-regulation bustier). The art is all black and white and computer generated, so it's a little stiff, but that contributes to the style of the book.
Fun stuff that I can't put on my shelf!
Fun stuff that I can't put on my shelf!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wonderland
Well, got a new title in yesterday. Actually, someone else ordered it, but I asked her to. Wonderland by Tommy Kovac. It got good reviews and was recommended for the older end of the youth (not teen) spectrum, so I thought we'd give it a try. The person who ordered was a little unsure of the content, so she asked me to read it. I'm sorry to say I was bored. I'm sure other people would be entertained, but I've always been more of a spandex-fan at heart. At least I could reassure her that the picture that bothered her was the characters de-shrinking, not being de-capitated. The concept is cute (it follows the story of Maryann, the White Rabbit's unseen servant from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland). Since I'm always looking for different content in Graphic Novels, I truly hope the kids enjoy it. Sorry, Mad Hatter fans, it's just not my cup of tea.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Well, I read the Yoko Tsuno book. It was written in the eighties and reads to me a lot like a Nancy Drew book from that era. Some people (presumably) died near the end, but the deaths were not seen. The plot is still sound, but the technology is a bit outdated (magnetic tape computers, for example). I think it will work for the collection, but I'm not going to get any of the others unless a patron REALLY wants them, especially since it's a $12 paperback that won't hold up well. At less than 1/2 an inch thick, 8/12x11 size pages, it's going to get mangled.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
New comics/graphic novels:
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Great stuff! Good for the Captain Underpants crowd, with cleaner humor. Probably also good for Diary of a Wimpy Kid readers. I can't put it out for processing yet, since it doesn't go on sale until July 28. I'll put it on the to-do shelf when I work Saturday, since then it won't be done getting processed until well after then.
7 assorted Peanuts compilations--something some patrons have been asking for. I figure we can't go wrong with the classics.
Yoko Tsuno: The Prey and the Ghost by Roger Leloup. I ordered this because of a web review. I don't have time to read it today, so we'll see. It's a lot skinnier than I thought it would be.
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Great stuff! Good for the Captain Underpants crowd, with cleaner humor. Probably also good for Diary of a Wimpy Kid readers. I can't put it out for processing yet, since it doesn't go on sale until July 28. I'll put it on the to-do shelf when I work Saturday, since then it won't be done getting processed until well after then.
7 assorted Peanuts compilations--something some patrons have been asking for. I figure we can't go wrong with the classics.
Yoko Tsuno: The Prey and the Ghost by Roger Leloup. I ordered this because of a web review. I don't have time to read it today, so we'll see. It's a lot skinnier than I thought it would be.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Garfield and a New Title
Added more Garfield books to the collections. Actually, I should say I added updated (i.e., colorized) versions of old Garfield titles to the collection. There are so many different Garfield books, I can't keep up. At least I don't have to try too hard, since there is no special chronology to the comic strips the books were made from.
I added a new title to the collection as well: T-Minus: The Race to the Moon. It's a fictionalized account of the Moon landing, just like the title implies, with a focus on two of the thosands of employees at NASA at the time. It's black and white, with lots of text, so I hope it gives some readers a nice challenge. (I don't want to just be stocking the shelves with fluff like Garfield.)
I added a new title to the collection as well: T-Minus: The Race to the Moon. It's a fictionalized account of the Moon landing, just like the title implies, with a focus on two of the thosands of employees at NASA at the time. It's black and white, with lots of text, so I hope it gives some readers a nice challenge. (I don't want to just be stocking the shelves with fluff like Garfield.)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Dinosaurs and Fairies
Got a couple more good graphic novels in today:
Cameron and His Dinosaurs by Scott Christian Sava is really cool. Basically, an evil genius creates intelligent dinosaurs, but they don't want to work for him. (I giggled at the T-Rex telling the mad scientist to "seek professional help".) Instead, they make friends with a boy named Cameron. Meanwhile, the scientist still has to produce some dinosaurs for his more evil backers (bear in mind, some of this is firmly tongue in cheek). There's a lovely dino-vs-robot-dino battle, and all's well that ends well. Man, I hope there are sequels, though. This was great--no blood, just mashed metal, and the closest thing to sex was hand-holding (by adults). (IDW did a great job with the binding, too.)
Korgi, Book 1, by Christian Slade, is good in different ways. It's a sweet story about a "mollie" girl named Ivy and her korgie (a kind of dog/fox), Sprout. Aside from the introduction and a bit at the end describing some of the characters, the black-and-white story is wordless. Some of the monsters are scary, but Ivy and Sprout always come out right. I ordered this one after I read Book 2, actually, and wanted to add to the collection. BTW, mollies look like little people, but have wings. (More good binding, this time by Top Shelf.)
Cameron and His Dinosaurs by Scott Christian Sava is really cool. Basically, an evil genius creates intelligent dinosaurs, but they don't want to work for him. (I giggled at the T-Rex telling the mad scientist to "seek professional help".) Instead, they make friends with a boy named Cameron. Meanwhile, the scientist still has to produce some dinosaurs for his more evil backers (bear in mind, some of this is firmly tongue in cheek). There's a lovely dino-vs-robot-dino battle, and all's well that ends well. Man, I hope there are sequels, though. This was great--no blood, just mashed metal, and the closest thing to sex was hand-holding (by adults). (IDW did a great job with the binding, too.)
Korgi, Book 1, by Christian Slade, is good in different ways. It's a sweet story about a "mollie" girl named Ivy and her korgie (a kind of dog/fox), Sprout. Aside from the introduction and a bit at the end describing some of the characters, the black-and-white story is wordless. Some of the monsters are scary, but Ivy and Sprout always come out right. I ordered this one after I read Book 2, actually, and wanted to add to the collection. BTW, mollies look like little people, but have wings. (More good binding, this time by Top Shelf.)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Pokemon Do Live!
Yes! Viz Comics is reissuing the Pokemon Adventures stories from at least a decade ago. We used to have several on the shelf, but they disintergrated. Believe me, I tried using as much book tape as I could on the covers to hold them together--they were that popular. With a little pre-emptive cover taping on these new digests, I should have books that last a while (Viz interior binding seems to hold up well, but any paperback graphic novel will loose its cover if not cared for after about ten circulations).
In all the time I've been working at a library, there are still kids who come up looking for Pokemon books. I would have thought the fad would have passed, but I can still find the cartoon on TV once in a while, and the video game is still going strong from Nintendo. I know kids in grade school who still pass around the trading cards. I'm glad I can re-fill the need for these books. The heavy demand was why the originals were kept in circulation as long as I could.
In other news, I found a cute little gem published by First Second called Tiny Tyrant. It looks quite well-bound.
In all the time I've been working at a library, there are still kids who come up looking for Pokemon books. I would have thought the fad would have passed, but I can still find the cartoon on TV once in a while, and the video game is still going strong from Nintendo. I know kids in grade school who still pass around the trading cards. I'm glad I can re-fill the need for these books. The heavy demand was why the originals were kept in circulation as long as I could.
In other news, I found a cute little gem published by First Second called Tiny Tyrant. It looks quite well-bound.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Well, I got the Sonic the Hedgehog books and a TMNT book in. They'r giving me flashbacks to the 80s, since they're compilations of comics based on the cartoons of that era. The coloring still looks like the comics, but the pages are a nice quality. I hope they hold up better than the Marvel digests, which seem to fall apart after they've been checked out 10 times (a pet peeve of mine).
Friday, May 22, 2009
Time to Get Cracking
Well, I just ordered six Sonic the Hedgehog titles from Archie Comics. That should be popular with the boys. It's harder to find good stuff for girls. We've already got all the Babysitter's Club grapic novels. I have high hope for Udon's Swans in Space, though. We got The Big Adventures of Majoko (also published by Udon) and it's really cute.
I've found School Library Jounal's blog Good Comics for Kids very helpful in finding new titles.
I've found School Library Jounal's blog Good Comics for Kids very helpful in finding new titles.
The beginning
Hi! I'm starting a blog.
I'm hoping to use it to focus on books of interest to me, especially graphic novels for children.
What do you like to read?
I'm hoping to use it to focus on books of interest to me, especially graphic novels for children.
What do you like to read?
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